The game of tic-tac-toe has been played as an enjoyable pastime for many years. The rules of the game are easily understood and the game may be enjoyed by people of all ages.
The game may be played between two players who alternately select "X's" or "O's" to be placed in one of the nine boxes formed by two parallel lines intersecting at right angles with two other parallel lines. The first player begins play by placing an "X" in one of the nine boxes, and the second player places an "O" in another one of the nine boxes. The players continue to alternately place "X's" or "O's" in the array of nine boxes, and one of the players may win by placing three of his symbols in one of the three vertical columns, one of the three horizontal rows, or along one of the two diagonals. The game may also end in a draw if neither one of the two players is able to win in the manner described above.
There have been a number of electrical and mechanical versions of the game of tic-tac-toe designed for either solitary play or play between two players. In addition, electronic tic-tac-toe games are also known which allow a player to compete against a computer programmed to play tic-tac-toe. Such electronic tic-tac-toe games are also available in hand-held units utilizing an integrated circuit device known as a microprocessor as the computer. However, none of these devices are known to include the features disclosed in the electronic tic-tac-toe game of the present invention.